— County Requests Additional Anesthesia Nurses
By Mark N. Mengonfia
Cestos, Rivercess -The Rivercess County Health Team has reported significant progress in health care delivery, while also citing persistent challenges related to staffing and cost-sharing measures.
Once among Liberia’s most medically underserved counties, Rivercess has made notable gains in recent years.
A county that previously relied on a single medical doctor now has 12 trained physicians and specialists providing care across its health facilities.
In an exclusive interview with The Local Daily, in Cestos City, County Pharmacist Marvin J. Gbartomah attributed the improvement to sustained advocacy and increased support through Liberia’s Ministry of Health and health partners.
“Years back, Rivercess had only one medical doctor, which placed a burden on the health system. Today, through advocacy and support, we have more doctors who are meeting the health needs of our people. Now, we don’t have gaps where patients are told the doctor is not available and must be sent to Buchanan,” he said.
He said the increased number of physicians has significantly reduced patient referrals to neighboring counties, including Grand Bassa.
According to him, many complications that were previously referred to outside the county are now being managed right here in Rivercess.
Rivercess County currently has 19 health facilities, including two private facilities and 17 public clinics that provide basic health services.
The county’s referral facility, St. Francis Hospital in Cestos City, serves as the primary secondary-care center and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Health through the County Health Team.
Despite the gains, Gbartomah said staffing remains a major concern particularly in anesthesia services.
“Our biggest challenge is that the county has only one anesthesia nurse. Since cost-sharing was introduced, patient intake dropped. Many people stopped coming for treatment because they are not used to paying for services that were previously free,” Gbartomah said.
According to Coursera, Nurse anesthetists are advanced practice registered nurses trained to administer anesthesia before, during and after surgical procedures, making them essential to safe surgical care.
The shortage limits the county’s capacity to perform surgeries and respond to emergencies when the only nurse anesthetist is not around, putting more burden on the doctor.
Another challenge facing the health system is a decline in patient attendance following the introduction of cost-sharing measures at public health facilities.
Under the policy, patients age 16 and older pay L$200 for registration, while those younger than 16 pay L$100.
The fees are intended to support the replenishment of essential medicines and medical supplies.
He noted that the fees are comparatively lower than private-sector costs but acknowledged that the change was not well received by some communities.
“This is a major shift, hospitals began implementation while some clinics are yet to fully roll it out” the health worker said Months ago, St. Francis Hospital was almost empty but if you visited St. Francis, you will see that patient numbers are building up”. He added.
According to Gbartomah, enrollment declined at facilities that began cost-sharing early, as communities adjusted to the new policy.
However, he said the trend has started to improve following intervention from the county superintendent, who chairs the county health services board.
Rivercess County, one of Liberia’s least populated and most remote counties, has historically faced challenges including poor road access, limited health personnel and constrained infrastructure.
Health authorities say recent improvements reflect national efforts to strengthen county-level health systems under Liberia’s Essential Package of Health Services.
Despite ongoing challenges, Gbartomah expressed hope about the progress made so far saying they are encouraged by the gains achieved over the past months.
